APC 40 MK2 Review

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rawdesigns
Is seriously in love with Resolume. Met the parents and everything
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APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by rawdesigns »

REVIEW:

Let me start off by saying I'm not very familiar with different types of controllers used for Resolume.I've had an APC 40 MK1 for about 1.5 years and I'm doing this short review in comparison of that model, so with that being said here we go!

I like to point out that this controller is the shit!

1. Dat Body Girl
Pro's
The new design, form factor, and decreased weight makes it so much more portable than the first model. If you are a VJ on the go doing multiple venues I highly recommend this unit alone on its form factor. The use of USB powered is handy too with no more lugging around a power cord and finding a free outlet!
Con's
It does have very sturdy plastic but I wish it were lightweight aluminum. Needless to say this thing is solid! I did find when I went crazy on the faders the unit kept sliding away from me because the small rubber feet were not big or sticky enough :(.
inside namba backpack
inside namba backpack

2. Buttons and Knobs and Faders Oh My!
Pro's
These buttons are so silky smooth and the layout of them are much better improvement from the last model. The knobs will do; we'll get to that in the con's section. But damn those faders are sweet! I for one broke 4 faders on my mk1 from going crazy with strobe and effects. The mk2's best feature is probably (for me anyway) the concave faders and how they dip into the controllers body really brings that extra level of sturdiness. They are so strong I cant even pull the faders off they must be locked in place (other than the A-B fader)
Con's
The only button con I have is the layout makes it hard for my hand to reach across the board if i'm doing effect with my right had while timely switching a clip while turning another off from a different layer makes it a bit difficult. I don't have any fader cons thus far. Ok If there is one thing wrong with this unit it's got to be the quality of knobs. They are shorter and fatter than the previous ones and hardly have any grip! They ended up hurting my fingers after a while :(. I will definitely be getting new chroma caps from https://www.djtechtools.com soon!
hand doesnt reach all the way accross
hand doesnt reach all the way accross
upper knobs
upper knobs
side knobs
side knobs
Here is a video of me f*ckin around with it before a gig>
phpBB [video]


Overall this is a must have controller for the Resolume VJ on the go. The layout fits very well with the Resolume UI and the quality build is outstanding! Until Resolume comes out with their own controller this is by far the closest thing you can get to one. Thanks!

GO GET ONE!
me
me

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cosmowe
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by cosmowe »

Thank you very much for this review!!!!! No more questions sir! ;)
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eklektro
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by eklektro »

Great that it's buss powered now, but one glaring design flaw is how the USB cable sticks out of the back so much! you'd think Akai might learn something from the Launchpad Mini and others and put a right angle in there. I'll see about ordering a 3rd party USB cable for it, but wonder if they're safe to use without that fat piece Akai puts on the cable? There must be some special purpose for this?

Basic
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by Basic »

Thank you. Great review and nice to hear your thoughts. For me the fact its smaller is a bonus. I have the APC20 (older one) so that it fit in my bag and wasn't a pain to fly with. What bag do you have as well?
Resolume Avenue 3.3.3 - MBP i7, 8gb RAM - Snow Leopard (2010). Akai APC20

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rawdesigns
Is seriously in love with Resolume. Met the parents and everything
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by rawdesigns »

Basic wrote:What bag do you have as well?
I have the Big Namba Studio Backpack

Basic
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by Basic »

Perfect, thanks dude. Been looking for a bag exactly like that!
Resolume Avenue 3.3.3 - MBP i7, 8gb RAM - Snow Leopard (2010). Akai APC20

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Oaktown
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by Oaktown »

I carry my APC40 around in a Pelican case 1600 with foam (http://amzn.com/B0052599NC). The controller fits on the top layer and I create spaces underneath for the power adapter and the USB cable. It's pretty light and bombproof!

Basic
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by Basic »

Cool, the Peli cases are great but only for other hardware. I tend to carry my laptop/controller in a bag at all times. We've lost a bit of kit with it being in the hold.
Resolume Avenue 3.3.3 - MBP i7, 8gb RAM - Snow Leopard (2010). Akai APC20

lb2593
Met Resolume in a bar the other day
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by lb2593 »

Hey,

I recently just got a MK II love the review you gave of it so i went ahead and got one!

What kind of layout / midi comp do you use as i have tried to map similar to what i used on the old Apc 40 and having a few problems.

I am only able to get the top 4 buttons to act as buttons for effects and I have to press it 3 times to turn on and off.

Regards

Lewis.

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rawdesigns
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Re: APC 40 MK2 Review

Post by rawdesigns »

lb2593 wrote:What kind of layout / midi comp do you use
Thank's for the kind words!
I would explain my layout as follows...

Buttons:
the main grid there I use the 8 accross and 5 down for clip triggers. The smaller ones right next to that I map to X out that layer and the "stop all clips" button, well, you can guess what I map that to.

Knobs:
Most my effects are all on the right side of the controller on those 8 knobs. I have a couple on the top like an automatic Hue scroll that overlays the entire comp.

Faders:
For my master fader (fade in and out) I mapped that to the far right one under "master". I have a strobe mapped to the very left. Next to that fader a solid white (helpful for when you hear large hit's or snares in the music)

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
-Ryan

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